A December Sunset on the Coast

There is a stretch of Highway 1 below Pacifica where the road runs right against the bluffs and the coastal golf courses spill toward the ocean. In summer it is fogged in for weeks at a time. In December, on a clear afternoon, the light there can be unreasonable.

We pulled off late, just as the sun was sinking behind the water. The grass on the bluff was wet from the morning fog, and the bushes were already in silhouette. A few small figures stood at the far edge of the lawn, watching the same thing we were.

The cypress on the right is one of those trees the coastal wind has bent into a permanent lean. From the path that runs along the cliff, you can see the same outline against a different sky any time of year.

December sunsets on this coast are short. The window where the light works is fifteen minutes, and then the whole thing turns dark blue and the wind picks up. You don't plan this kind of stop in advance — you see the light starting to break and you pull off whatever exit is closest.